Beauty Blogger Influenster Unboxing and Mini Reviews

 I've had this box for a while now, and yes, I'm just now getting around to doing an unboxing! This is the Beauty Blogers 2012 Voxbox and it looks like this:

 This was the car that cam with it. If you are interested in the specifics, you can just click and zoom :)

Here's what came in the box. I haven't tried everything out yet, but I will include a mini-review of the things I have gotten to try out!

 This first item is the E-Boost Energy booster. I didn't know how I'd feel about this when I first got it, because I'm not a huge fan of energy drinks and such, but it does look like it is going to be healthy and not harmful, so I am definitely going to give it a shot. I have not tried this product out, though, because I am waiting for a night where I am pulling an all-nighter. I wonder if these things have expiration dates...?

 This next item is the NYC color palette. I got the limited edition shadow palette, but some other members received a different color palette for brown eyes. I kind of wish that I had received that one, because I don't use these colors often, but now that I am thinking about it, I don't have these colors in my collection, so they should make for some new combos with the browns that I already have.
The palette had really nice pigmentation for the price, but there was some fall-out. I think you can tell in the picture that there was already some sparkles floating around in the package, and it started mixing with the highlighter and base. Oh well. It's still cool, and it was free :)

 These next two items, well one was an item and one was a coupon, but they are from Bath and Body Works. I have to say, when I got the box and saw BBW products, I about died because I was so excited. I am OBSESSED with the smell of this candle. I immediately wanted to burn it, but alas, I can't because my stupid dorm room won't allow me too...It's packed up though and ready to come home with me during Thanksgiving. I'm super excited!

 This is the Kiss Ever Pro Lashes kit. I have never used lashes before, but I was pleasantly surprised with how easy these were to apply. I haven't worn them anywhere yet, but I did play with them, and I really enjoyed them. They look really natural, so I shouldn't have any trouble making them work for everyday or for a date night ;)

 Next, we have the Goody Simple Styles Spin Pins. These are supposed to make wearing a bun super simple. I was really excited to try these because I'd seen them before but just never picked the up. I was kind of disappointed, though. My hair (as pictured above) is not super thick, and so my buns are always really small. You can see in the picture that the pins stuck out of my hair because they were too big. I think it's going to be okay, though. I am growing my hair out longer, and I think when it gets back to it's usual long length, I will be able to use the pins again without them sticking out.

 This was the last item in the box. It's the Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream. I was SO excited to get this! I know some people got the curly hair one, but that would not have helped me much because my hair is naturally wavy, but not super curly. This worked pretty well I think for the one time that I've tested it out. I tend to use this product when I know it's going to be humid outside to at least try to combat my frizzy hair. Humidity usually makes the situation a LOT worse, but this worked well in taming my hair.

That's all that was in the box :) I'm glad I could finally share it with you all! I did get these items for free from Influenster, but these reviews are completely honest, as I'm sure you can tell. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll see you all with the next blog post!

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen

This is the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration SPF30 Lotion Sunscreen. I wanted to do a quick post about this sunscreen because it was a life saver when I was working at the theater camp that I've mentioned. I know what you are thinking "Theater camp and sunscreen don't go together" but they do. We would take the kids outside for breaks and let them run off a lot of energy, not to mention that a lot of the construction that we did for the set was done outside. So, I was outside a lot, and this sunscreen was a lifesaver. It left my skin moisturized but also didn't make my skin smell like sunblock, which was the most important thing. I smelled instead like a caribbean oasis (which is the only thing that I can think that it smells like), which is infinitely better than smelling like sunscreen. I also didn't notice that sticky feeling that you get from putting sunscreen on. It just felt like I had lotion on my body.

If you are going out in the sun soon, I'd highly suggest using a sunscreen so you don't get burned, and if you are looking for a sunscreen, definitely pick this up and try it!

Disclaimer: I did receive this product for review from Influenster, but my reviews are honest.
Picture Credit: Amazon.com

NomNoms:Quaker Banana Nut Bread Soft Baked Bars

My latest snack treat: Quaker's Soft Baked Bar in the flavor Banana Nut Bread. Oh my gosh. This thing is amazing. It takes exactly like banana nut bread, but it's so much easier than baking bread. These little bars are a great snack, but they also work well as a breakfast. They are pretty big and really filling, especially since it's like eating oatmeal and nuts in the morning. I haven't tried any other flavors yet, but I'm sure these little bars will be moving in to college with me in the fall. Nom Nomssssss...


Disclaimer: The bar was sent in my free Influenster voxbox for review. The views expressed in this post are strictly honest and true, and I am not being paid for this review.

Nail of the Day: Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color

This is my nail polish of the day. This is Sally Hansen's Magnetic Nail Color in Polar Purple. I received this in my summer influenster voxbox. Purple is my favorite color, so I knew that I HAD to try this out. I painted this on my fingernails last night, and then took the picture, which is why it isn't the best paint job. Whoops.

Anyways, onto the review:

Color: The color is beautiful, but it isn't anything super unique. It is however made unique by the magnet, and I think that is true to any magnetic nail polish. What I really loved was the each nail was unique with the use of the magnet, and I think it gave it a much more interesting look. My sister was even obsessed with checking out my nails, even though she is not remotely into nail polish. The dark purple that the magnet brings out is just super pretty.

Application: The polish is a great consistency. It doesn't streak, and is opaque in one coat. The picture above is only one coat. Because you have to use the magnet, it takes a couple of nails to get used to using the magnet and being speedy enough to allow the magnet to do it's magic, but the result is worth it.

Directions: These are the directions that come on the bottle:

Easy steps

STEP 1 

Shake and Apply 2 coats

STEP 2

Hold Magnet for 10 seconds over wet nail polish

Instant Attraction!

Let dry and seal with a top coat for extra shine

Each nail polish comes with directions, and I think this is what I had the most issue with this nail polish. The directions tell you to paint one coat, let it dry, and then paint a really thick coat and quickly put the magnet over top of the nail polish. I followed the instructions exactly as they were on the package for my left hand (because my dominant hand is my right) and it was a complete fail. The polish was too thick, and it wasn't drying like it should. I ended up having to remove all the polish and try again. I will point out in the polish's defense that I'm super impatient with nail polish, and it might have just been that I wasn't waiting long enough for it to dry, but I think it also wasn't drying properly in general. There was something wrong with the directions. The polish is completely opaque in one coat, and so I just used the magnet on the first coat instead of the second coat, as I was originally instructed. The design from the magnet was the exact same on one coat as it was two, and it dried perfectly with only one coat. I don't recommend two coats with this, or if you want to use two coats, don't do such a thick coat the second time around like instructed.

Dry Time: Dry time was average. You have to give it a couple extra minutes to set, I think because if you swoop in quickly to put a top coat on (like I do because I'm impatient with nail polish) then you are likely to smear the colors into each other. I did this on some of my nails, but it actually really looked cool like that.


Staying Power: In the first day of wearing this, I lifted up a table in camp the wrong way and chipped my nails. I don't fault the polish for this, and the only chipping that has happened since I painted my nails was on the nails that were chipped from the table. It looks like the polish doesn't chip for the first three days at least (unless you are like me and prone to bashing your fingernails into tables when the fold-able table slips out of your hands...)

Here are some more pictures that I took, trying to capture how shimmery and pretty this polish is (which was a fail. The best way to see how brilliant this looks in in direct sun light):

I really do love this polish. The color is gorgeous, and now that I know to apply it with one coat, it works like a charm. I would definitely purchase more of these, and in fact, I plan on purchasing at least the red one, and maybe the blue or silver as well.

The suggested retail price on these polishes is $9.99 and you can buy them at chain drug stores, food stores, and mass merchandisers nationally.

Disclaimer: This polish was provided for review in my Influenster Voxbox. All opinions are my own, and my reviews are honest, as you can see above.

I Got My Influenster Summer Voxbox!!!

 I got my Influenster Summer Voxbox yesterday in the mail!!! I'm so excited!! Here is the box: 

(It's around 8pm here and the sun is almost set, so the lighting may be a little funky, but hopefully it's manageable!)

I've only had one day to kind of play with the products and try a couple things out, so here's what's in the box and my first impressions (from left to right):

Quaker Soft Baked Bar in Banana Nut Bread: This little bar looks SO good! I haven't tried it yet because I still needed to take pictures for my blog, but the minute I can, I'm going to chow down on that sucker!

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color: The minute I saw this, I was ecstatic! My roommate introduced me to magnetic nail polish, and she bought hers from like $15. It wasn't the Sally Hansen brand, but it still looked really cool. The color I got was in Polar Purple, which is perfect because I'm obsessed with the color purple. I can't wait to try this out!

Sally Hansen Nails and Cuticles Hand Creme: To be honest, my first impression was that it smells like sunscreen. I'm not a huge fan of the smell at all, but I put it on anyways, and it's definitely moisturizing. The smell isn't too bad, so I'll still use it, it just isn't my favorite. I'm going to keep using it and see if I grow fond of the smell or not.

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30: Unlike the Sally Hansen Nails and Cuticles Hand Creme, this smells great! It's very tropical and girly, and it's perfect for the summer by the pool or at the beach. This is a 2oz bottle, and I don't know how long that will last, but I'm about to work at a summer camp, so I'll bring it along and see how well it works. I'm very excited for this, though.

Tampax and Always Radiant Collection: Sadly (or not so sadly, depending on how you look at it...) my period literally just finished (TMI? Ok.), so I won't be able to test these out for a couple weeks, but my first impression of these was positive. I liked that they came in the little bag, and that the bag doesn't say TAMPAX all over it. You can throw it in your pool bag or your backpack and be discreet about it. Also, they have redesigned the closures on the tampons, and it looks like they are going to be more sanitary to use. Overall, good so far! I'll test these out the next time mother nature graces me with my monthly gift :P

I'm very happy with this box. It was free, so it's kind of hard to NOT be happy with it, but the products seem promising, as well. I also love getting things in the mail, so I'd been looking forward to this voxbox since the moment I got the e-mail that I would be receiving it!

If you haven't heard about influenster, you can visit influenster.com to sign up! It's free to sign up, and what you do is you answer surveys about yourself so that they can put you in their demographics, and then from there, you earn badges that dictate which box would be right for you! You aren't necessarily going to get a box every time one is available, though. I've been a part of the site since April of 2012, and this was my first box. If you decide to join, just make sure that you unlock the badges that fit you, because from what I understand, that is how you begin to get boxes. Also, if you do receive a box, you have to agree to do a review of the products, not only on their site, but on any other media outlet (blog, youtube, facebook etc.) that you are a part of.

Comment below if you received a voxbox, if you are familiar with/have tried other Influenster voxboxes, or if you have tried any of these products before, and let me know what you thought of them!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!


Disclaimer: Influenster sent me this box for free so that I could review the products inside of it. All reviews are honest.

Small Update

I just thought I'd do a small update for you all :)

I'm still on summer break, and while I've so far been doing a good job blogging every day in the last couple of days, I am about to start working at a summer camp. The camp only goes until 3pm every day, so I'm hoping that I'll still have plenty of time (and content!) to keep blogging every day :) I'm trying really hard, so I hope it pays off!

I also haven't yet received my influenster voxbox yet, although I should be getting it in the next couple of days because I've started to see people on YouTube receiving the box and making reviews. But the day that I get it, I'll be sure to show it to you all, and soon after get reviews of the products when I start using them.

I've got the next week's blog posts planned out, so be looking out for some fun things!

Summer Influenster Box!!!

I just thought that I would update you all and let you know that I got contacted by Influenster to receive their summer voxbox! I'm super excited to get it in the mail (getting anything in the mail is exciting when you don't get much mail like me! :P) and I'll post pictures and do reviews when I receive the box!

In case you don't know about Influenster, it is an online site that sends out free products to people for review. All you have to do is sign up and take some quizzes. You won't always get a voxbox, and you have to be selected to receive them, but they are completely free, which is exciting and fun! I think it's a great way to try out new things, and all you have to do it give your honest opinion of them, which is great! If you don't already have an influenster account, you need to make one! Just visit: http://www.influenster.com/ :)

I'll let you all know when I receive the box! It should be coming in a week or so!

Oh, and happy July 1st :)